A sealing arrangement for a building structural assembly

ABSTRACT

The sealing arrangements for structural assemblies which comprise one or more frames carrying window lights or opaque infill panels and which require weatherproof sealing with contiguous parts of the structural assembly. The illustrated arrangements make use of known flexible sealing strips which hold the panes or panels in the frame by securing to such strips a supplementary sealing strip that is also flexible and extends from the frame to seal against an adjacent element of the structural assembly. This supplementary strip can bear freely against said element or it may be positively engaged thereby. The arrangement is equally applicable to sealing the adjoining edges of two adjacent frames or the adjoining edges of a smaller frame, e.g. an opening window light, in a larger frame.

United States Patent Inventor Richard Lewis Stoakes Clouds NorthdownRoad, Woldingham, Surrey, England Appl. No. 791,426

Filed Jan. 15, 1969 Patented Sept. 14, 1971 A SEALING ARRANGEMENT FOR ABUILDING 2,612,662 l/l952 Pfaff 52/400 2,676,055 4/1954 Humpal 49/489 X2,748,431 6/1956 Eriksson 52/476 X Primary Examiner-Alfred C. PerhamAttorneySandoe, Neill, Schottler & Wikstrom STRUCTURAL ASSEMBLYABSTRACT: The sealing arrangements for structural assem- 7 Claims, D i iv blies which comprise one or more frames carrying window {52] Us Cl52,400 lighlts or opxaque infill panels apdhwhich requlire wezglherproofSea m w" n nous arts 0 t e Structura assem 49/48849/489'49/49652/97'52/208* 52/475 The illustrated arrangements make use of known flexiblel] Int. Cl E06b 3/62, Sealing Strips which hold the panes or panels i hframe b 1/36 securing to such strips a supplementary sealing strip thatis Field of Search l fl ibl d t d f the frame to ea] against an ad- 2 I475-477 400; 49/496 497, jacent element of the structural assembly. Thissupplementary 487, 463i 368 strip can bear freely against said elementor it may be positive- 56] References Cited ly engaged thereby. Thearrangement is equally applicable to sealmg the ad oining edges of twoad acent frames or the ad- UNITED STATES PATENTS joining edges of asmaller frame, e.g. an opening window light, 2,768,411 /1956 Clingman52/208 in a larger frame.

I 3 (if; 62 7 I? E '1! 29 E/ 10 III 'II A SEALING ARRANGEMENT FOR ABUILDING STRUCTURAL ASSEMBLY This invention relates to the constructionof buildings and is concerned with the sealing means provided for theweatherproofing of framed and paneled building constructions, e.g.window frames and curtain walling.

In metal window frames it is known to use sectional sealing strips offlexible material such as an artificial rubber between the frame and theor each light of the window. Such strips are known in which a pair ofopposed grooves are provided to receive, respectively, an inwardlydirected flange of the window frame and an outer edge of the glass paneof the window light. Between these grooves, the strip section has anindented region that increases the flexibility of the respective lipsdefining one side of each groove and so assists the assembly of thestrip to its associated parts, this indented region afterwards receivinga firmly fitting filler strip which maintains pressure of the lipsagainst the glass panes they hold. A corresponding arrangement is usedto hold infill panels in curtain-walled constructions.

While these sealing strips are able to perform satisfactorily the taskof providing a rainproof joint, difficulties have been experienced inmaintaining a seal at the outer periphery of a frame where it meets afurther frame or fits into an aperture of the surrounding structure.Because of thermal expansion differences it is necessary to allow forsome movement between the frame and the structure adjoining it andnormally a flexible mastic material is used to form an effective seal.However, repeated thermal movements reduce the flexibility of themastic; moreover it is found that weathering, and in particular exposureto sunlight, can have a further deleterious effect on the flexibility ofthe mastic and as a result constant maintenance may be necessary.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a sealingarrangement that is able to give a satisfactory seal in thesecircumstances that requires less maintenance. A further object of theinvention is to provide an improved sealing arrangement for parts of astructure that are intended to be displaceable, such as opening windowlights.

A sealing arrangement for a frame according to the invention comprises afirst sectional member of flexible material having at least one slot toreceive an edge or lip portion of the frame in the peripheral region ofthe frame and includes also an auxiliary sectional member, similarly offlexible'material, having a width greater than said slot and a thicknessover at least a part of said width less than the slot whereby it can besandwiched in the slot with the associated frame edge or lip to projectfrom the slot and to be deformed into contact with a further structuralelement adjoining the side of the frame.

Thus, the auxiliary member can provide a more permanent rain barrierthan the conventional mastic insert and it is also possible tosupplement its sealing function with a mastic insert which can beinserted behind the member to be protected by it from weatheringeffects, if there is a suitable space between the frame and said furtherstructural element.

The invention will be more particularly described with reference to theaccompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 shows, as an example, a structural unit in which sealingarrangements according to the invention are incorporated,

FIGS. 2 and 3 are respectively sections on the lines II-II and III-IIIin FIG. 1, and

FIG. 4 shows a detail of a structural unit incorporating a further formof sealing arrangement according to the invention.

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3 of the drawings, the structure comprises twoframes 2 placed side-by-side so that their adjacent edges form a centralmullion 4, each frame having a transom 6 defining an upper light 8 whichmay be hinged. The unit may be regarded as a window or a part of acurtain wall since the framing requirements are the same in both cases,the panels fitted to the frames being of glass or opaque materialrespectively. The following description, will, however, be related to awindow unit.

The frames are built up from metal sectional members 10 each comprisinga web I2 from which a pair of bifurcated flanges 14 extend to form achannel, an angle extension 16 being located on the end of one of theflanges. Sectional fixing rails 18 are screwed at 20 to the surroundingstructure 22 of the window aperture and have tongues 24 that seat in thebifurcations of the flanges 14 so that each window frame is securedtransverse to its own plane but has some freedom in that plane to takeup initial lack of fit and to permit relative thermal movements. At themullion 4, the opposed members 10 of the two frames are held together byflat keying strips 26 (FIG. 3).

The inwardly turned flanges of the angle extensions 16 each seat in oneof a pair of opposed slots 28 of a sectional rubber sealing strip 30.The opposite slot of the strip in the lowermost part of the windowreceives the edge of a glass pane 34 and in the uppermost part of thewindow the corresponding inwardly directed slot receives flange 36 ofouter frame member 38 for window upper light 40. As seen best in FIGS. 2and 3, a recess 41 is formed along one surface of strip 30 intermediatethe opposed slots 28, and receives therein a filler strip 41a. The upperlight of the window has a top pivot opening on a hinge 42 securedbetween the fixed outer frame formed by the sectional members 38 and aninner frame comprising sectional members 44, 46 that are securedtogether to form a rigid box section. The lower member 38 of the upperlight outer frame is also supplemented by a member 48 to increase itsrigidity similarly. In both instances, however, the pairs of members 44,46 and 38, 48 can be replaced by a unitary member of equivalentclosed-section form.

Since the frames formed by the members 10 are rigid units fitting withinan already-formed window aperture that is usually made of differentmaterial, e.g. concrete, there must be additional sealing means providedaround the outer edges of the frames both to take up the previouslymentioned initial lack of fit and also to accommodate the effects ofdifferential thermal expansion. To do this a flexible mastic compound 54is injected under pressure into the space between the angle extensions16 and the surrounding structure 22 of the window aperture.

To protect the mastic from direct exposure to weathering agents thatcould cause early hardening and shrinkage, there is provided a sealingshield in the form of an auxiliary sectional rubber strip 56 comprisinga free limb in the form of a flexible leg 58 longer than the anticipatedgap between the strip 30 and the wall of the window aperture. The leg 58has a relatively small cross section and therefore has considerableflexibility so that it is able to accommodate variations in the gapwidth along the length of the frame and is also deformable when theframe is first located in place to allow the insertion of a mastic gunnozzle into the space 54.

Base portion 60 of the strip is located in the slot 28. Here the stripis positively located to the frame member flange with which it issandwiched in the slot 28 by key and groove engagement 62 and it has aspur 64 that sits on the shoulder of the strip 30. Each frame memberflange has a widened terminal portion 66 which fills the full width ofthe slot 28, the purpose of this being to permit the direct transferenceof the weight of the panes or panels to the frames without applying abending or flexing force to the strips 30. In this embodiment of theinvention there is also illustrated a recess 68 formed on the sealingface of the leg 58, the'purpose of which is to produce a gap that willinhibit possible seepage of water past the face by capillary attraction.

Since the opening upper light of the window cannot have permanentsealing means, the strips 56 are similarly provided at those grooves 28of the members 30, where the flanges of the upper horizontal one of themembers 38 and the lower horizontal one of the members 44 are held, toprovide depending sealing means that bear against the adjacent members30 below them. The sealing means also extends along the vertical sidesof the frame, mitered and welded joints connecting the horizontal andvertical portions. It will be noted that the sealing arrangement is notaffected by the deformations imposed by opening and closing the upperlight due to the inherent flexibility of the legs 58 of the strips 56.

FIG. 3 shows the interconnection at the junction of the two fixed framesof the window and FIG. 1 indicates this to be the vertical junction at amullion but the same arrangement can be used for a horizontal junctionat a transom between two fixed frames. The figure shows how an auxiliarystrip 56 extends from one strip 30 to overlap the adjacent strip 30 ofthe other frame which itself has a truncated flexible auxiliary strip 70inserted as a filler in its outwardly facing slot 28, the strip 70having an equivalent cross section to the base portion 60 of the strip56. If required, the space 72 between the frames can also be filled withmastic. As an alternative to the strips 56, 70, a single strip canbridge the facing slots 28 of the members 30 to seat firmly in saidslots but being sufficiently flexible to permit thermal movementsbetween the two members 100.

It will be readily appreciated that the above-described construction canbe applied in an analogous manner to the erection of a curtain wall,opaque infill panels being used in place of the glass panes 34 forexample. In the case of curtain walling there may be several framesabutting each other in series or forming a grid to fill a given wallarea in the structure and the joints between abutting frames can be madein the same way as the mullion joint illustrated in FIG. 3. It may alsobe mentioned here that combinations of fixed and opening panels orlights other than those illustrated can be provided. As regards openinglights, while the construction of FIGS. 1 to 3 show these to be tophung, they can alternatively be bottom hung, side hung, horizontallyhung, vertical or horizontal pivot hung or projecting top hung. Asfurther alternatives, they may be mounted in horizontal or verticalslides.

In FIG. 4, the frame is built up from sectional members 114 of similarform to the members and 80 of the earlier examples. As in thoseexamples, a pane or infill panel 116 is held in the frame by a slottedsectional rubber sealing strip 30 in the outer slot of which seats angleextension 118 of the frame member. In this example, it is required tomake a watertight seal between the frame member 114 and a sill 120. Thisis done by employing an auxiliary member or strip 122 in the form of athin flexible material tape in conjunction with the main strip 30, oneedge of the tape being secured in the outer slot of the strip 30, thewidth of the tape extending from that slot to a tongue and grooveconnection 125 between the frame member and the sill where its oppositeedge is secured. The thickness of the strip 122 is considerably lessthan that of the limbs 58 and 110 of the earlier examples and it istherefore able to follow the contour of the frame member profile betweenits secured edges and is able to be wrapped around the inserted tongueof the sill in its connection to the frame member to form a waterproofbarrier at the tongue and groove. To engage the strip 122 securely inthe slot of the member 30 a filler strip 124 is inserted between it andthe frame member flange which has a series of small ribs 126 to grip thestrip 124.

Whatl claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A structural assembly comprising, a generally planar frame, a furtherstructural element of the assembly being disposed adjacent at least oneedge of said frame and sealing means arranged between said edge and saidfurther element,

the sealing means comprising a first sectional member of flexiblematerial having opposed slots, one slot receiving said edge of the frameand the other slot receiving an edge of a panel for the frame, saidfirst sectional member having a recess formed therein along one surfacefor receiving a filler strip, there being further provided a sectionalauxiliary member of flexible material having a width greater than thedepth of said one slot and over at least a part of said width, athickness less than the width of said slot, said part of said auxiliarymember being sandwiched in said one slot with said frame edge andextending from the slot to said further structural element and beingdeformed into contact with said further element, said part of thesectional auxiliary member received in said first slot including alongitudinal groove and said edge of the frame wedged in said first slotincluding a longitudinal keying element seated in said longitudinalgroove for keying said sectional auxiliary member in said first slot,and a filler strip seated in said recess securing the edge of the frameand said part of said sectional auxiliary member in the first slot andsecuring the panel edge in the second slot, the arrangement being suchthat said edge of the panel and said edge of the frame together withsaid part of said sectional auxiliary member can be inserted freely intothe opposed slots of said first sectional member and said filler stripcan then be inserted in said recess, thereby to secure the partsinserted in said opposed slots.

2. A sealing arrangement according to claim 1 wherein a thickenedportion is provided on the sectional auxiliary member in an intermediateregion of its width, said thickened portion having opposed facesdisposed adjacent and outside said first slot with one of said facesbearing against the first sectional member and the opposite of saidfaces of said thickened portion urged against a region of said frameedge contiguous with the first slot.

3. A sealing arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the sectionalauxiliary member has a contact face in engagement with said furtherelement, a longitudinal recess being provided on said face to form aninterruption in the bearing interface between said face and said furtherelement.

4. An assembly according to claim 1 wherein said extending end isengaged in a tongue-and-groove connection of said frame and element.

5, An assembly according to claim 4 wherein the auxiliary member isflexed between its secured ends to lie against the contiguous surface ofthe profile of the frame.

6. A structural assembly comprising, a generally planar frame, a furtherstructural element of the assembly being disposed adjacent at least oneedge'of said frame and sealing 7 means arranged between said edge andsaid further element,

the sealing means comprising a first sectional member of flexiblematerial having opposed slots, one slot receiving said edge of the frameand the other slot receiving an edge of a panel for the frame, saidfirst sectional member having a recess formed therein along one surfacefor receiving a filler strip, there being further provided a sectionalauxiliary member of flexible material having a width greater than thedepth of said one slot and over at least a part of said width, athickness less than the width of said slot, said part of said auxiliarymember being sandwiched in said one slot with said frame edge andextending from the slot to said further structural element and beingdeformed into contact with said further element, said further structuralelement providing a surrounding aperture forming means within which saidframe is located in a manner permitting relative displacement betweenthe frame and the aperture structure parallel to the plane of the frame,said sectional auxiliary member extending from the outer periphery ofthe frame and into sealing contact against the inner peripheral regionof the structural element aperture-forming means, and a filler stripseated in said recess securing the edge of the frame and said one partof said sectional auxiliary member in the first slot and securing thepanel edge in the second slot, the arrangement being such that said edgeof the panel and said edge of the frame together with said part of saidsectional auxiliary member can be inserted freely into the opposed slotsof said first sectional member and said filler strip can then be inserted in said recess, thereby to secure the parts inserted in saidopposed slots.

7. A structural assembly comprising, a generally planar frame, a furtherstructural element of the assembly being disposed adjacent at least oneedge of said frame, the adjoining regions of the frame and structuralelement carrying respective sealing means arranged between said edge andsaid further element, the sealing means each comprising a sectionalmember of flexible material having opposed slots receiving respectiveedges of the frame and of the edge portion of the structural element,said sectional members having adjacent slots of similar width, saidsectional members each into contact with said further element, said partof the other of said auxiliary members being sandwiched in itsrespective slot with said structural element edge portion and beingtruncated and terminating substantially at the mouth of its slot, and afiller strip seated in the recess of each of said sectional members.

1. A structural assembly comprising, a generally planar frame, a furtherstructural element of the assembly being disposed adjacent at least oneedge of said frame and sealing means arranged between said edge and saidfurther element, the sealing means comprising a first sectional memberof flexible material having opposed slots, one slot receiving said edgeof the frame and the other slot receiving an edge of a panel for theframe, said first sectional member having a recess formed therein alongone surface for receiving a filler strip, there being further provided asectional auxiliary member of flexible material having a width greaterthan the depth of said one slot and over at least a part of said width,a thickness less than the width of said slot, said part of saidauxiliary member being sandwiched in said one slot with said frame edgeand extending from the slot to said further structural element and beingdeformed into contact with said further element, said part of thesectional auxiliary member received in said first slot including alongitudinal groove and said edge of the frame wedged in said first slotincluding a longitudinal keying element seated in said longitudinalgroove for keying said sectional auxiliary member in said first slot,and a filler strip seated in said recess securing the edge of the frameand said part of said sectional auxiliary member in the first slot andsecuring the panel edge in the second slot, the arrangement being suchthat said edge of the panel and said edge of the frame together withsaid part of said sectional auxiliary member can be inserted freely intothe opposed slots of said first sectional member and said filler stripcan then be inserted in said recess, thereby to secure the partsinserted in said opposed slots.
 2. A sealing arrangement according toclaim 1 wherein a thickened portion is provided on the sectionalauxiliary member in an intermediate region of its width, said thickenedportion having opposed faces disposed adjacent and outside said firstslot with one of said faces bearing against the first sectional memberand the opposite of said faces of said thickened portion urged against aregion of said frame edge contiguous with the first slot.
 3. A sealingarrangement according to claim 1 wherein the sectional auxiliary memberhas a contact face in engagement with said further element, alongitudinal recess being provided on said face to form an interruptionin the bearing interface between said face and said further element. 4.An assembly according to claim 1 wherein said extending end is engagedin a tongue-and-groove connection of said frame and element.
 5. Anassembly according to claim 4 wherein the auxiliary member is flexedbetween its secured ends to lie against the contigUous surface of theprofile of the frame.
 6. A structural assembly comprising, a generallyplanar frame, a further structural element of the assembly beingdisposed adjacent at least one edge of said frame and sealing meansarranged between said edge and said further element, the sealing meanscomprising a first sectional member of flexible material having opposedslots, one slot receiving said edge of the frame and the other slotreceiving an edge of a panel for the frame, said first sectional memberhaving a recess formed therein along one surface for receiving a fillerstrip, there being further provided a sectional auxiliary member offlexible material having a width greater than the depth of said one slotand over at least a part of said width, a thickness less than the widthof said slot, said part of said auxiliary member being sandwiched insaid one slot with said frame edge and extending from the slot to saidfurther structural element and being deformed into contact with saidfurther element, said further structural element providing a surroundingaperture forming means within which said frame is located in a mannerpermitting relative displacement between the frame and the aperturestructure parallel to the plane of the frame, said sectional auxiliarymember extending from the outer periphery of the frame and into sealingcontact against the inner peripheral region of the structural elementaperture-forming means, and a filler strip seated in said recesssecuring the edge of the frame and said one part of said sectionalauxiliary member in the first slot and securing the panel edge in thesecond slot, the arrangement being such that said edge of the panel andsaid edge of the frame together with said part of said sectionalauxiliary member can be inserted freely into the opposed slots of saidfirst sectional member and said filler strip can then be inserted insaid recess, thereby to secure the parts inserted in said opposed slots.7. A structural assembly comprising, a generally planar frame, a furtherstructural element of the assembly being disposed adjacent at least oneedge of said frame, the adjoining regions of the frame and structuralelement carrying respective sealing means arranged between said edge andsaid further element, the sealing means each comprising a sectionalmember of flexible material having opposed slots receiving respectiveedges of the frame and of the edge portion of the structural element,said sectional members having adjacent slots of similar width, saidsectional members each having a recess formed therein along one surfacefor receiving a filler strip, there being further provided for each ofsaid opposed slots of said sectional members, a sectional auxiliarymember of flexible material having over at least a part thereof, athickness less than the width of its respective slot, said part of oneof said auxiliary members being sandwiched in its respective slot withsaid frame edge and extending from the said slot to said furtherstructural element and being deformed into contact with said furtherelement, said part of the other of said auxiliary members beingsandwiched in its respective slot with said structural element edgeportion and being truncated and terminating substantially at the mouthof its slot, and a filler strip seated in the recess of each of saidsectional members.